College (CPCC) will offer the award-winning FastTrac® NewVenture™
program to emerging entrepreneurs beginning February 2. Through
funding provided by Governor Perdue's Charlotte Regional Economic and
Workforce Recovery Initiative, this program, valued at several hundred
dollars, is offered at no cost to North Carolina residents who are
unemployed or underemployed and want to pursue business ownership as a
career. This program is part of FastTrac® LaunchPad, a joint
initiative of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Deluxe
Corporation Foundation.
The FastTrac® NewVenture™ program is a practical, hands-on business
development program designed to help budding entrepreneurs develop a
business idea and then plan the critical steps to a successful
business launch, including how to identify and reach target markets,
plan and man operations, set financial goals, fund the startup and
much more. To enhance classroom instruction, participants will hear
from successful entrepreneurs, receive coaching from business startup
specialists and work in small group planning sessions with fellow
entrepreneurs. A workbook and online guides for a business plan and
financial worksheets are also included at no cost. At close,
participants will present a summary of their business plan for review
by peers and coaches.
The program will be offered on Tuesdays, February 2 through March 9,
from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Hall Professional Development
Building on CPCC's Central Campus. To apply for admittance, go to www.fasttrac.org
and complete the on-line application. Click on "Program Locator –
Get Started" and enter your zip code. Select the Charlotte Region
Programs for Displaced Workers then follow the link for Central
Piedmont Community College. The application deadline is Wednesday,
January 27.
For more information, contact Renee Hode, director of the Institute
for Entrepreneurship at CPCC, at 704.330.6832.
Central Piedmont Community College is the largest community college in
North Carolina, offering close to 300 degree and certification
programs, customized corporate training, market-focused continuing
education, and special interest classes. CPCC is academically,
financially and geographically accessible to all citizens of
Mecklenburg County. In 2002, the National Alliance of Business named
CPCC the Community College of the Year for its response to the
workforce and technology needs of local employers and job seekers
through innovative educational and training strategies.
